Prologue: Saudi Arabia stands as a beacon of transformative change in the Middle East, propelled by a cohort of visionary disruptors. Among them, Ammar Al-Sabban’s revolutionary product, SEVEN, redefines the AI creativity norms, while Amit Midha leads the nation’s transition from an oil-dependent economy to a technological powerhouse. Mishaal Alshemimry’s unwavering passion advocates for proactive preparation for future job markets, seamlessly complementing Saleh Al Tunaib’s leadership in Saudi logistics with robotics and system software integration. These individuals represent the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s innovative landscape, each contributing a unique perspective and skill set to the nation’s evolution. It’s important to note that these are just some of the many figures driving Saudi Arabia’s transformation. Together, they embody Saudi Arabia’s proactive approach to addressing global challenges, harnessing innovation and adaptability to redefine traditional narratives and propel the nation towards a future shaped by technological advancement and economic diversification. Their collective efforts not only position Saudi Arabia as a regional leader, but also inspire a new generation of innovators to contribute to the nation’s ongoing transformation. In embracing disruption, Saudi Arabia emerges as a dynamic hub of creativity and progress, paving the way for a brighter and more inclusive future for all.

After more than two decades of studying and working in the US, Dr. Yaser Al–Onaizan returned to Saudi Arabia and now serves as the CEO of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI), a sub-entity of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) that drives research, development, and implementation of AI solutions across the Kingdom.

While the US and China are leading development in AI, Dr. Al–Onaizan points out that the Middle East has immense potential in this space. “We have the right ingredients to be successful in this space,” he says. “It’s much easier to catch up now than it used to be because of all the work done to democratize AI. We are adapting [to AI] quickly in the Middle East and Saudi particularly.”

An industry veteran himself, Dr. Al–Onaizan received an MS and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Columbia University. He has over 20 years of experience in R&D from IBM and AWS. Before serving as the CEO at the NCAI, he was the deputy CEO at the center, leading a team of scientists and engineers to develop AI solutions of national importance.

Saudi Arabia’s success in digital services paves the way for AI integration, he says, empowering the Kingdom to leverage data and drive innovation across sectors.

Under Dr. Al–Onaizan’s leadership, NCAI is geared up for the global AI revolution. “Our primary focus is to address sector-specific challenges,” he says. The Center leverages AI expertise, for instance, in computer vision technology, to enhance diagnostic processes. Meanwhile, as the Kingdom hosts several mega projects that are building the cities of the future and the Center also incorporates AI technologies when exploring smart city solutions.

Furthermore, the Center’s endeavors extend to crafting solutions tailored to the unique language and cultural landscape of Saudi Arabia. Its focus on language modeling for Arabic is evidenced by SauTech, a speech–to–text system that encompasses a diverse range of Arabic dialects. It is poised to fuel the development of AI solutions across various sectors within the Kingdom and the Arab world.

Dr. Al–Onaizan’s confidence not only comes from the achievements at NCAI but also from the Kingdom’s commitment to becoming a rising power in AI. “One of the advantages of Saudi Arabia is that we have a young population that is very tech-savvy,” he says. Contrary to the stereotypes that many believe, the percentage of female engineers in the field is very high in Saudi Arabia, according to Dr. Al–Onaizan. “I worked in tech companies in the US for a very long time. It was always a challenge to bring diversity to these companies. The target numbers always hover around 20 to 25 percent of the workforce,” he says. “When I came back to Saudi and joined the NCAI, women constituted more than half of the technical workforce.”

Apart from the abundance of local talent, investments are also rushing in. “Whether it’s in the development of AI solutions, or the manufacturing and assembly of chips and other processors that are necessary for the AI revolution, Saudi Arabia has become an extremely attractive market, especially from an investment perspective.” With a strategic vision and open–mindedness, Saudi Arabia is ready to take a share of the AI revolution cake. SDAIA and NCAI will be at the forefront to drive the Kingdom to advance in the AI space.  

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